


Changing

by RandomnonsenseDA (B1nary_S0lo)



Series: Rora Surana [8]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Animal Transformation, Enemies to Friends, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26202790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B1nary_S0lo/pseuds/RandomnonsenseDA
Summary: Rora asks Morrigan to teach her shape changing. This may or may not be a terrible idea.
Relationships: Morrigan & Female Warden (Dragon Age), Morrigan & Surana (Dragon Age), Morrigan & Warden (Dragon Age)
Series: Rora Surana [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/470353
Kudos: 2





	Changing

After weeks of travel, Rora was starting to better understand her new companions. Alistair was wonderful, an easy confidant as long as you avoided certain touchy subjects. Leliana could be odd, but she was pleasant to talk with when you caught her in the right mood. Sten was intimidating, and Rora still had no idea what he was thinking most of the time, but he was at least reliable.

Then, there was Morrigan.

Rora had tried to be friends with Morrigan, but nothing she did seemed to make any difference. If anything, they simply made Morrigan angry.

“Would you like to join us over by the fire, Morrigan?”

“Why, pray tell, would I join you when that _fool_ Alistair is going to be there?”

“Morrigan, come with me to handle some of these bandits?”

“What, because you cannot manage on your own?”

“I got you a gift, Morrigan.”

“Shoes? Did you mistake me for some prancing fool like Leliana?”

By now, Rora was convinced that it was not just her tendency to spare their enemies or her obvious homesickness for the Circle that drew Morrigan’s ire. No, Rora was certain it was her very existence that bothered Morrigan.

Despite her failures, Rora still tried to speak to Morrigan whenever she could, as little good as it did. For whatever reason, Morrigan tolerated these interludes up to a point. Tonight, the topic had turned to Morrigan’s abilities.

“I learned shape changing from my mother,” she explained. She hardly made eye contact with Rora as she spoke, like she couldn’t stand to look at her. “Tis an old skill of Flemeth’s.”

“But how do you do it?” Rora pressed. “We never learned anything like that in the Circle. Is it blood magic or…?”

Morrigan sighed heavily. “You Circle types and your blood magic,” she said. “A thing is beyond your understanding and you jump to the same conclusion each time. Tis most tiresome.”

“A-all right,” said Rora, caught off balance, as she usually was around Morrigan. “Explain it to me, then.”

Morrigan’s birdlike eyes flickered to Rora, but her expression barely changed.

“Shape changing is nothing more than a spell,” she said. “One studies an animal closely, learns to think and move as it does, and, if one knows the proper magics, one may then become that animal.” She shrugged. “Tis nothing difficult, really.”

“Can you teach others to become shape changers?”

The question was out before Rora really had a chance to think it through. Once more, Morrigan turned her head and fixed her yellowish eyes on Rora’s. For the first time, her expression subtly changed to one of curiosity.

“Yes, I could teach such a skill,” she said. “Why do you ask? Surely _you_ don’t wish to become a shape changer?”

Somehow, the inflection on _you_ sent a twinge of anger through Rora. She wasn’t sure why this in particular that bothered, but when she answered she couldn’t keep the challenge out of her voice.

“Maybe I do.”

“Really?” said Morrigan. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “The pampered little Circle mage, who jumps at her own shadow, would deign to learn the skills of a witch of the—”

“ _Yes!”_

The word came out much more loudly than Rora had expected. It seemed to shock Morrigan as well. Her eyes actually widened. Then, her lips curled into a sideways grin.

“Well, if that is how you feel about it, we will have our first lesson tomorrow evening.”

Rora knew almost right away that she had made a terrible mistake. She was going to learn _shape changing?_ From _Morrigan?_ The thought filled her with dread. First, because she knew how Morrigan felt about her, and second because of the inconvenient fact that Rora was terrified of animals.

“But you’re not scared of Leo,” Alistair said when she explained the situation to him later that evening. “ _He’s_ an animal.”

The two of them sat on a log by the fire with the Mabari in question seated on the ground before them. Alistair patted the dog’s bristly back for emphasis.

“Leo is different,” Rora said. She patted him as well and he panted happily. “He’s more like a person.”

“A good point,” Alistair said. And then, to Leo. “You _are_ like a person, _aren’t_ you, puppy?”

Leo grunted in an affronted way, which Alistair ignored. He turned back to Rora.

“What is it about other animals that bothers you, exactly?”

Rora gave a little shudder. “Everything. The way they move and the noises they make and their _eyes._ ” She shuddered again. “I’m not used to them, I suppose.”

“And you’re going to try learning to turn into them,” Alistair said. “ _Not_ one of your better ideas.”

“I know,” said Rora. “She just made me so angry, and I wasn’t thinking.”

“Couldn’t you back out?” said Alistair.

“I can only imagine what she’d say if I did.”

“Good point.”

“And, who knows,” said Rora, brightening. “It should at least be interesting. Maybe the two of us will finally manage to resolve our differences.”

“Yes, _maybe_ ,” said Alistair darkly. “Look, all I’m saying is that I warned you Morrigan might turn you into a frog, and now you’re _letting_ her turn you into a frog. See the problem?”

Rora heaved a sigh. “When you put it that way…”

Despite Alistair’s warning, the next night found Rora hurrying off to Morrigan’s campsite. When she arrived, the other woman stood tall at the edge of the forest, still and watchful.

“I see you did not lose your nerve,” she said.

Her tone was cool, but her glance was almost approving. Rora nodded.

“I said I would be here.”

Morrigan looked around.

“Where is that mongrel of yours?” she said.

“Leo? He’s back at the campsite—”

“Ah.”

Morrigan paused. She pursed her lips in what looked like a whistle, but no noise came out. A moment later, Rora heard the familiar pounding of paws on the ground, and Leo appeared over the rise of the hill that hid Morrigan’s campsite. He bounded over and bounced at Morrigan’s feet, trying to lick her hand.

“ _No_ ,” said Morrigan firmly. “ _Sit_.”

Leo sat obediently. He looked from Rora to Morrigan, panting. Rora stood beside him—sitting down, he came nearly up to her shoulder—and laid a hand on his head.

“Is there a reason you called my dog over here?”

“I thought we would start with an easy form,” Morrigan said. “Something familiar. Does that suit you?”

Rora nodded.

“To change one’s shape,” Morrigan said, “one must intimately understand the movements, the very thoughts, of the animal one wishes to take the shape of.”

Morrigan unhooked her staff from her back and held it at the ready. Rora did the same.

“As with any spell,” Morrigan went on. “You must focus on your purpose and draw the energy you need to accomplish it from the fade.”

As Rora watched, Morrigan raised her staff and closed her eyes.

“Your purpose is to take on a new shape. This body you were born in is as malleable as the very earth around you. Just as you can summon fire, or make the ground shake beneath you, so can you change your form. Like so.”

Rora saw Morrigan breath in. She felt the ripple of energy that came whenever magic was done, that disturbance of the veil she knew so well and, before she could even see what had happened, Morrigan was no longer there.

In her place was yet another thickset Mabari. Leo leaned slightly forward, nose wiggling and tail wagging at the sight of the new hound. Then in an instant, Morrigan was back. Leo’s ears drooped.

“Ugh,” she said, brushing herself off. “Remind me never to turn into a Mabari again. They _stink_ of humans.” She turned back to Rora. “Now, you try.”

Rora nodded. She held her staff at the ready, just as Morrigan had done. Before closing her eyes, she studied Leo carefully. His half folded ears, his bristly brown fur, the lolling of his tongue. Much as she loved her Mabari, she wasn’t sure how eager she was to turn into one.

“What are you waiting for?” Morrigan said. “Go on.”

Rora frowned and closed her eyes.

She tried to do as Morrigan said. She reached toward the Fade and tried to think of nothing but Mabaris. She thought of rolling in the dirt, licking faces, digging up old bones. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, struggling to both reach into the Fade and focus on something so unfamiliar at the same time.

Several moments passed, and Rora felt absolutely nothing. She heard Morrigan sigh, and she opened her eyes.

“ _What_ is taking so long?” said Morrigan.

“I’m doing exactly what you said.”

“Are you sure? Are you thinking of the animal?”

“I am,” said Rora, annoyance flickering.

“Think _harder,_ then.”

Rora swallowed her retort and shut her eyes again. But now, her focus was further interrupted by annoyance with Morrigan. Was this even the way the spell was really meant to work? Was Morrigan making a fool of her? Her thoughts began to race, her cheeks burned, and then, before she could stop it—

Fire crackled at the end of her staff. Coming back to herself, Rora quickly focused her energy on stopping the flames. When she looked up again, Morrigan was frowning and tapping her foot.

“Perhaps that’s enough for this evening,” she said. “We shall try again tomorrow.”

Rora’s next lesson with Morrigan went no better. She stood for what seemed like hours, rooted to one spot and trying to focus all of her energy on turning into a Mabari, until Morrigan finally dismissed her with a sigh. The next evening was the same. By the time the fourth evening rolled around, Rora was almost ready to give up.

As usual, she met Morrigan at her campsite. This time, though, the other woman didn’t instruct her to take out her staff. Instead, she gave her a careful look, and then turned away.

“Come with me,” she said.

Confused, Rora followed Morrigan, who took a turn for the thick trees on the edge of their campsite. She hurried to catch up with Morrigan’s long strides.

“Where are we going?” she said. She tried to keep her voice steady, hiding the fear that filled her as they made their way through the thick trees. Morrigan pushed a branch aside and answered without looking back.

“We are going into the forest, obviously,” she said. “Your training requires a new approach.”

Rora hurried so that she walked in step with Morrigan. A bird called in the trees, and she jumped. She wasn’t sure if Morrigan noticed.

“What sort of new approach?”

Her mind rushed back to Alistair’s fears of Morrigan turning her into something. She had never feared for her safety around Morrigan before, but wondered then if she had reason to.

Morrigan briefly paused, settled on a new route, and then answered Rora’s question.

“I have a theory,” she said. “You cannot turn into an animal because you do not understand what it is to _be_ an animal.”

Morrigan paused again, seemed to sniff the air, then led her in a different direction.

“As a girl, I spent countless hours in the forest, observing creatures of the land and air alike. I came to understand them. That is what you must do.”

They came to a stop. Completely turned around, Rora had no idea how far they might be from camp.

She looked around. Morrigan had led her to a clearing which was, in Rora’s opinion, quite eerie. Dead leaves littered the ground, the trees rose around them like the walls of the Circle tower, and the moon shone through an opening in the trees. It looked like the sort of clearing where werewolves or blood mages might meet for dark rituals.

“This should be a good spot,” Morrigan said. “Now.” She turned towards Rora. “I want you to close your eyes and listen.”

“Just listen?”

“Yes,” said Morrigan. “I want you to listen to the sounds of the forest. Every crackle, every call, every rustle of wind through the leaves.”

“How long do you want me to do this, exactly?”

“As long as I say so,” she said. “Does that suit you?”

Rora swallowed. Honestly, the thought of closing her eyes in this dark, cold place filled her with dread, but she nodded.

“I can give it a try.”

“Then let’s begin.”

Rora breathed in. Steeling herself, she closed her eyes.

At first, she didn’t hear anything at all. Then, steadily, she began to pick up on new sounds. First came crickets chirping, oddly soothing. Then came the calls of birds. The more she listened, the more she realized how different they all sounded. Some were high pitched and long, others interspersed with chirps of various pitches. The more she listened, the less she jumped, and the more she started to relax.

“How long do I need to do this, Morrigan?” she said.

No answer came.

“Morrigan?”

She opened her eyes. She looked all around the clearing. No Morrigan. Panic filled her.

“Morrigan?!”

There was no answer. Morrigan had left her alone in the forest.

Rora tried to calm her panic, even as the sounds of the forest, which had begun to sound almost pleasant, seemed to turn menacing. She unhooked her staff and placed it on the ground beside her, holding it tightly. She didn’t know that she was actually in danger, but having it accessible made her that much calmer.

What to do? What do to? The problem was she had no idea how she and Morrigan had arrived at the clearing. She hadn’t been paying attention. How was she to find her way back?

Her ears caught something and twitched slightly. Could that be Morrigan? Rora turned and followed the sound.

Rora was glad she could see in the dark. As she walked, she not only followed the sound of crackling branches, but also the sight of trampled twigs in the brush. She hoped she really was following Morrigan and not some animal.

As she walked, she was encouraged by a faint smell of smoke, which she suspected was the campfire. It could be a forest fire or some strange woodsman’s campsite, but she wouldn’t think about that too hard.

She turned corners, stopped, backtracked, following her ears and her nose as much as she could. She was so focused she didn’t have time to be afraid. The only indication of nerves came from her racing heart, though that could also have been her anger at Morrigan.

As she walked, she became slowly aware of another noise. It sounded like there was something behind her. She stopped, listened. The noise ceased. She resumed walking, and then she heard it again.

Rora gripped her staff. She could still smell the campfire. She kept up her stride, speed increasing until she broke into a run. Just get out of the forest. She just had to get out of the forest and she would be fine—

She burst out of the trees, into the glow of Morrigan’s campsite. Morrigan sat by her fire, warming her hands,

“Ah,” she said. “I see you made it back.”

Rora stood by the woods, breathing hard.

“How was your walk in the woods?” Morrigan said.

Rora looked into Morrigan’s yellow eyes. She felt hot and cold all over. She clenched her fists.

“Morrigan,” she said. She struggled to keep her voice calm. “If you didn’t want to teach me to shape change, you could have just said.”

“Hmm?” Morrigan’s face registered surprise, but Rora went on.

“I know you don’t like me,” Rora said. “But you don’t have to be so… unkind.”

“Whatever are you talking about?”

“Morrigan, you know I’m afraid of the woods, and you left me in there alone,” said Rora. “That’s cruel even for you. If you wanted to discourage me—”

“I didn’t want to discourage you,” Morrigan said. “I left you in the woods as part of your training.”

“What?”

“If anything, I was trying to _en_ courage you,” said Morrigan. “I wanted you to think as an animal does. About survival. I had no intention of truly frightening you.”

Rora stared at Morrigan. For the first time since she’d known her, Morrigan looked contrite.

“Why didn’t you just tell me that was your intention?” Rora said.

“It didn’t occur to me,” she said. “When Flemeth trained me to shape change, I was lost in the woods for much longer than you were.”

“Flemeth left you alone in the forest?”

“Oh, yes, often,” said Morrigan. “From the time I was very young.”

“Weren’t you frightened?”

“Very,” said Morrigan. “But it taught me to be strong, just as I hoped it would teach you.”

Rora was silent for a moment, considering.

“I can see your point,” she finally said. “I suppose it did help. Just, please. Warn me next time?”

“If that is what you wish,” said Morrigan.

Rora smiled. Morrigan looked away, but she didn’t make any snide remarks.

“Let us resume our training,” she said.

That night, Rora successfully transformed for the first time—into a rabbit. Morrigan didn’t comment very much on the change, but Rora thought she caught an approving look on her face. Their lessons went much better after that.

**Author's Note:**

> So, the friendship you can develop with Morrigan in this game is one of my favorite things about Origins. I've wanted to write about it ever since I first played the game, but I've never quite managed to make it work. Hopefully I managed it this time.
> 
> Also, Morrigan agreeing to teach the Warden shape changing when her approval is still low is apparently a glitch, but I honestly find this more interesting than the way it's supposed to be.


End file.
